Building a service to help tech SMEs internationalise: progress update

Building a service to help tech SMEs internationalise:
an update on progress
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, 27 November 2009

Need
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SMEs don’t have the internal infrastructure
or ready external support layer to optimise
their efforts to internationalise

This is diminishing the opportunities
available for UK Technology to grow


Need
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

50,000 SMEs in UK technology sector


Need
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


17,000 internationalising at any one time


Need
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


17,000 internationalising at any one time

seeking growth, profits, reduced dependence
on a single market


Need
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lack of managerial time, skills and
knowledge*

Inability to contact potential overseas
customers*

Limited information to locate and analyse
markets

*Crick, 2007: SMEs' Barriers Towards Internationalisation and Assistance
Requirements in the UK

Need
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Limited firm resources and international
contacts as well as lack of requisite managerial
knowledge about internationalisation have
remained critical constraints to SME
internationalisation. These resource limitations…
seem particularly prevalent among smaller, newly
internationalising.”

p.5 OECD (2009), “Top Barriers and Drivers to SME Internationalisation”
Report by the OECD Working Party on SMEs and Entrepreneurship, OECD


The opportunity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UKTI's traditional activities alone cannot
bridge the gap

The web offers the opportunity to
facilitate collaboration by SMEs -
inserting a layer of mutual support and
sharing intelligence

UKTI and the UK Technology brand
are contributors to that support layer, as are
service suppliers and consulting companies


Media UKTI
industry

UK Technology Global Markets
LinkedIn Group Membership
proportionate view showing members with completed proﬁles

Tech SMEs
Service
providers


Which Tech SMEs are represented?
Exendex
International Financial Systems
Chootta
Vecta Consulting
Managed Networks
Smarkets
Kineo
21st Century Network
Ainstainer Group
LCCS London
Network/Server Admin/Support
ONLINET
ExactTrak
Codeplay Software
instaCommerce SME involvement by company name, location and title
Blue Journey
Enforce-IT
SysEnvir
Deep Visuals
Cerulean Visions
AutoGlobal Business Network
Great Northern Design
Nine Tiles Networks Where are they based?
Geo.me Solutions Reading
Research Optical Films Swansea
Cambridge Sensotec Ltd Coventry
Newzdog Ltd London
Business Catalyst Brighton
Time Is Ltd Newcastle What are their roles?
Mayﬁeld Solutions: CRM, Software, Marketing Data Solutions Liverpool MD
Smartly Green Limited Bristol Partner
W3 Digital Ltd Cambridge Business Development Manager
Info Stor Oxford Social Business Advisor
Wishpot Leeds Consultant
Smart-ISOtm Derby Director
The Planet Group Harrow Owner
Focus Innovation Hemel Hempstead Founder
GreyRidge Software Bath Co-Founder
F2IT Portsmouth CEO
Starﬁsh Technologies Southampton COO
Head of Operations
inCode Wireless Twickenham
Technical Marketing Manager
RFIP Ltd: provider of RFID services & support
Independent Technology Transfer Specialist
Aetheric Engineering Ltd
Principal Consultant
icomplete.com
Strategic Development Manager
murphx
Technology Evangelist Director
Ionsquare
VP, Design & Innovation
BookingBug embeddable, hosted booking and reservation
Director of Business Development, Europe
system


service provider involvement by service and market served

Which services are oﬀered?
Events Network
Partner, Fitzgerald and Law LLP, Chartered Accountants and
Global Expansion Specialists
Global marketing and branding
Marketing manager at Mango d.o.o
Owner, City House Consulting
Executive Coach, Mentor, Revitalizer
Co-Founder and Managing Director of OPEN
Owner, The European Marketing Agency
US market entry specialist
Social Media for Sustainability Consultant
Solicitors
PR Which markets do they serve?
Technology Commercialisation Catalyst, UK
Technology Transfer Executive at BBC US
Kukutana Japan
Digital Grape Business Services Europe
Global Go-To-Market Expert Canada
Accountants -- UK, US and global China
Solicitors -- UK, US and global Australia
UK-based Translation Industry Consulting, Training and Software Pan-Asia
Business Link Japan & Electronics Link Japan Africa


The idea
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The idea
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the heart of the service is a set of
collaborative tools for use by SMEs, the service
companies supporting them - here and
overseas - and by government and non-
government agencies

The tools are designed to help SMEs ask the
right questions, find useful answers and
connect with the right partners


The idea
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reputation Goal
api

network

Context Accreditation
Proﬁle History

related

Latest Popularity

Market guide

Industry dashboard
Country dashboard


The idea
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reputation Goal request for api
information

network

Context Accreditation
Proﬁle History

related

Latest Popularity

Market guide

Industry dashboard
Country dashboard


Service definition
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the heart of the system is a framework for
identifying expert content (and expert
responses) relevant to a particular situation or
opportunity according to geography, company
profile and company goal or task.

The system enables participants to create or
aggregate and add to useful content from
across the web.


Service definition
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Content objects (Q & As, articles, PDFs, urls,
videos, events, lists) are contextualised,
persistent, dynamic and portable; this means
they incorporate attributes such as related
topics or goals, related content, metadata,
ratings, comments, provenance, topicality and
popularity with different participants

(And it means that content objects can be
enhanced and accredited by the community
and shared around the web across an open API)


time passes


Service definition
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So content is graded and filtered by the
audience and aggregated around objectives

Content is not created or managed by the
service. Content is aggregated by or created by
and managed by the participants. The body of
content grows over time.

Valued content becomes the most visible
content, accredited for accuracy and value-in-
context by experts and by the community,
according to their reputation

Service definition
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reputation (of participants) is a critical
component of the service mechanism. The
reputation of participants will derive from the
quantity (how much, how often) and quality
(how useful) of their contributions

Accreditation (of content) is provided by
experts and by the community. Recent, relevant
content regarded highly by participants with a
good reputation becomes the most visible


The USP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I like this for three reasons: the fact that
you prompt people on what to think about;
the fact that information is contextual and
categorised; the fact that it’s all in one place.
I would use this, absolutely.”

-- Laurent Duchateau, in-person interview


The USP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And, there’s nowhere else on the web with this
combination of features and focus, backed up
by 600 UKTI staff on the ground


What people said...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’ve had a lot of pain internationalising. I
figured it out the hard way and I spent a lot
of money doing it. This service would have
made all the difference.

It’s too late for me, but these newer, smaller
businesses? They need it.”


What people said...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This would be a huge value-add for my
customers.”


What people said...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I like the competitive aspect. The country
view or market view that shows market
competitors and the effort required to get
there -- that would really be helpful.”


What people said...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This is the kind of thing my customers have
been looking for.”


What people said...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m looking for a well-coordinated and
connected peer group of people who want to
export to similar countries.

I’d like to be part of an eco-system of
exporters who can collaborate and share
knowledge and experience, ideally at
different stages of maturity, so the starters
can learn from the veterans and avoid
common mistakes.”


Building a service to help tech SMEs internationalise: progress update

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Building a service to help tech SMEs internationalise: progress update